"Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut?
Jesus Christ, deny your maker."
♫ Man In The Box by Alice in Chains.
✰ ✰ ✰
"Have a good day at school, you two."
Blissfully, and with heavy distaste for me, my mom handed my little brother Ollie a fully packed lunch box, and leaned down to give him a goodbye hug on our way to school. It was seven thirty. Birds were chirping. Fog was rolling. Kids were laughing on their way to the bus stop. Cars were rumbling. Dogs were barking. Coffee was brewing...
And misery was in the making.
Another day like yesterday, nothing changed, nothing was new, it was the same old routine.
Wake up, skip breakfast, listen to one song before school, then walk my little brother to the bus stop. I'd go to my three classes for the day, and then come home to finish my homework, maybe play robots with Ollie.
Then... repeat.
It was just an endless cycle of the most boring life, and I was honestly getting kinda tired of it.
But who wouldn't?
"You too, Alice." Was all the 'have a good day' I got from my mother but I took it with a grain of salt and opened the front door.
Even though I was older, my mom treated her only son like a prize and me, like a worthless commodity.
I'd never know why.
"Bye..." I let Ollie walk in front of me before I closed the door behind us and stepped out onto the gravel walkway of our house. It was January, and the air was chilling, so I placed my plain black beanie onto Ollie's thick curls so he wouldn't get cold. "There. Take my hand."
As Ollie took my hand though, he asked me the most peculiar question. It was weird timing, and just such an interesting topic to talk about so early in the morning.
"Cherry, do you believe in heaven?" His lips pulled into a slight pout as if he was confused.
As we walked down the driveway, I furrowed my eyebrows, my mind jumping to the only logical answer. "Well, yes, of course."
"But-why?" He pressed on, seeming so confused, "How can you believe in something you can't see? And i-if heaven is such a nice place then why can't we go there? Why wouldn't God want us to be able to visit dad there?"
I blinked a bit, not expecting such a plethora of questions from him, "Um, I don't know Ollie, those are all really good questions though. Why do you ask?"
"I had a dream last night that I saw dad, so I asked mama this morning about it, and she said that dad is happy & safe in heaven. But... what if he's not? We don't know because we can't see. I just... don't get it." He was way too smart for his age.
"Me either," I said truthfully, "But some people say that seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing. So maybe that's something you can ask pastor Clark on sunday."
He sighed as we paused to stand where the bus stop was, "I wish it was a place you could go.... like a big Library or a gas station or sumn'. I miss dad."
Ah yes, heavens gas station.
"Me too." I muttered with a slight laugh, kneeling down to hug him with a heavy heart.
My brother was only five when my dad died three years ago, so he didn't get to grow up with him in the way that I did.
Nothing made me feel worse than that.
He didn't even remember most of the moments with him because he was so little.
Sometimes I wished I could transfer all of my memories into his little head to share cause what I did have, for the most part? Was pretty nice.
The bus came roaring down the street and I pulled back from the hug, straightening his little blazer and giving him a kiss on the cheek, "Have a good day at school okay? And if anyone gives you trouble, just tell me. I'll handle it. Don't hit anyone or else mom and William are gonna get really mad."
"I won't, I promise. One more." He hugged me again and I rubbed his back, smiling softly.
"I love you." I said, my eyes closing.
"To Saturn and back?"
I felt my heart tug from his quoting of my dad's favorite phrase and pulled back from him, "You bet," I smiled, standing up.
The bus stopped with a screech and Ollie waved his hand as he ran to it, his backpack bouncing up and down.
"Bye!" I waved as he got on.
All of the kids from around the street ran from their houses to get to the big yellow bus, and I stood waiting like I always did, blowing him kisses from his seat in the window. The bus lingered for a moment, until it let out a loud puff of air and rumbled the ground as it drove back up the street.
And replaced in my vision, right where the bus was, were my new neighbors.
"Hey!-"
"Shh-hey! Mornin', babe!" Niko stood next to his little brother, both of them waving and elbowing the other in the side to see, almost, who could get my attention faster.
I widened my eyes and felt my stomach drop.
Oh no.
Niko whistled, "Come're! We wanna talk to you!"
Talk? I think I might pass out if any one of them gets within' three feet of me again!
God, the other day was so embarrassing.
I acted like such a fool in front of them, I didn't know what I was doing or what to say. It was Morris's fault for running off to Niko when he wasn't supposed to, but I wasn't exactly prepared for that conversation.
Not to mention, they invited me to their housewarming party. I mean, me? It wasn't such a crazy concept from an outside perspective, but when you knew me, or talked to me, I wasn't someone who was considered 'the life of the party.'
Like, ever.
I lied about my age too, probably shouldn't have done that but it just sort of came out.
I was more than nervous, especially with that Nirvana guy looking at me like I was a disease.
Like seriously, I thought I was growing warts or something, the man had a serious case of RBF.
He was intense, and vaguely mysterious. Hot, there was no question, but he didn't seem the slightest bit interested in talking to me, and that was fine.
What wasn't fine however, was the way I was stuttering and standing on the sidewalk like an idiot with my pink backpack that I used from highschool hanging on my shoulder.
The thing was covered in 'way to go' stickers from my dad, and a pin that said, 'Jesus love me.'
So, logically, the only thing my body would allow me to do was walk away.
I turned on my heel and ventured right up the street instead.
Nice one, Cherry.
"Awe, come on!-"
"Dude, you're gonna scare her, she's like a little bunny, get too loud and she'll run away. Come on, let's go."
Hearing their voices talk about me make my body break out in a hot flash, and I glanced to the side to see them hopping inside of the already running 1967 Camaro.
It was a nice car, and I watched from the window like a creep the previous day while the boys spray painted the thing, ruining the perfect paint job.
They stuck lots of stickers on it, and splashed some paint. It was a trashy, hot mess, but it was cool and screamed the 90's.
I just hoped they kept their trashy, hot mess to themselves, and left me alone cause no matter how bad I wanted friends, until I could form a sentence, I didn't wanna be around them.
Did that stop me from watching them like a weirdo? No... but who could blame me?
My life was so boring, and they were all so busy all the time, running around doing things and I couldn't help but just people watch from time to time.
Nirvana was the one that came and went the most, and he was also the one who was gone the longest yesterday but I had no clue where he went off to.
Speak of the devil...
"Ah!" A revving engine sped behind me and I jumped when I heard a loud screech next to me, accompanied by voices.
"Hey pretty thang, you need a ride!?" Niko cackled, sticking his head and half of his body out the passengers side window of the car and looking out at me with a smile full of smoke.
"Does she need a ride? Of course she does, you idiot, look at her, she's freezing!" Mikey agreed, sticking his head out of the backseat next, "Ignore him. He asks stupid questions. Where're you goin' Cherry?-"
"I do not." Niko scoffed.
"Do too." Mikey quipped.
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Uh-I'm going... to school." I blurted out, my voice slowly fading to a low whisper. I felt the need to interrupt them, but it came out like a child's answer.
I might as well buy a spongebob lunchbox and shove a pacifier in my mouth.
"You walk every morning?" Mikey asked, a slight frown playing on his lips.
"Uh, yeah." I shrugged, not thinking much of it. I had my license, in fact my mom insisted I get it when I turned sixteen, in quote 'case of emergencies', but she didn't let me drive her car to school cause she didn't trust me with it.
I'd never know why, it wasn't like I was gonna go rob a bank or something. I couldn't even talk properly, let alone get a ski mask onto my big head.
"Hurry the fuck' up."
Before Niko could say something again, Nirvana's voice caught my attention in the driver's seat while he smoked a cigarette with the windows down, and Jesus Christ, I didn't expect his voice to sound like that.
Heavenly.
It left me in somewhat of a trance. I got what I could only assume people called 'butterflies', just from hearing it, and I'd never really gotten those before.
"Cherry."
"Huh?" I snapped out of it.
"We're going to the college to drop Mikey off for class, you want a ride?" Niko laughed slightly.
"You go to Bridgeview?" I asked him, my eyebrows lifting and my eyes somewhat hopeful.
"Unfortunately." Mikey answered, his face turning a bit red like he was embarrassed about it. "Come on, you can ride with us. It's better than walkin'!"
"I uh..." Mikey hopped out and opened the back door before I could object, towering over me despite my tall and overall lanky body.
"After you.." He gestured to the car, offering a goofy smile.
"I dunno..." A big part of me was hesitant.
Although I jumped when Nirvana slammed his hand down on the horn impatiently, the vein bulging in his neck when he spoke, "Let's fucking go! No time to sit around and play, I do not have all goddamn' day-"
"Do you like green eggs and ham? You Dr. seuss wanna be bitch?!" Niko teased him as he slid his body back into the car with a jolt. He went to poke his cheek but he slapped his hand away before he could.
"Ignore him, he's just a grumpy cunt. You remember me right? Mikey. The better brother!" Mikey exclaimed, placing a hand on my back and shoving me into the car. "You can trust us, come. In, in, in we go! Off to school, c'mon!"
More like kidnapper.
I guess I could check 'getting into a car with random strange boys' off my bucket list. Let's hope I'd survive long to complete the rest of the list.
I slid inside of the car to the far side and Nirvana didn't even wait until the door had closed or until my seatbelt was on to slam his foot down on the breaks and pull us out of the neighborhood.
"Let's hit the road!"
"Oh, crap...." I held onto the door to brace myself as Nirvana swerved through the streets, and Niko immediately kicked on loud music while Mikey took my backpack off my shoulder.
"Whoa, sick stickers! Niko, look at this. Jesus loves her! Awe..." Mikey waved my backpack to the front seat and showed it off to Niko who laughed out loudly.
"Uh that's old, it's.. kinda lame I-I know, I-" I reached in somewhat of a panic for a seatbelt but soon turned my head to the side to see none.
What kind of person doesn't have seatbelts?
"Oh, no seatbelts love! Haven't gotten em'put in yet!" Niko said from the front seats, one arm over the back of it as he flashed a smile; chewing gum in his mouth, "Plus, you have more fun in the backseat without the buckles in the way, am I right?"
"Oh yeah!" Mikey high fived his brother.
"Yeah... heh, totally..." I muttered quietly.
Are these guys crazy? Who is this energized in the mornings?
"So, what classes do you take, Cherry?" Mikey dropped my backpack onto the floor before putting his long arm around the seat behind me to get closer.
"Um, business management, POS-"
Nirvana pretended to start snoring from the front seat, and before I knew it, he'd cranked up the music full blast to drown out the sound of my voice.
"Oh, don't be dick!" Mikey exclaimed loud enough for me to hear, but not loud enough for Nirvana to care. He simply leaned his head back against the seat and smoked his cigarette.
"Oh, well." Mikey scooted close enough until I felt his hip touch mine and I nearly passed out as I stared up at him. He leaned his mouth right down to my right ear so I could hear, "He's a major assface... my apologies!"
His voice was raspier too, especially so close in my ear and I couldn't help but blush from how smooth and sweet it sounded.
I felt like I was about to start sweating.
Scratch that, I am sweating.
"What classes do you take?" Mikey asked again, pulling his head back from my ear to point his own within' hearing range.
I cleared my throat and moved my lips a bit closer to his ear, "Business management-statistics and a western arts class."
"I'm in business management too!" Our faces were extremely close within' seconds and I was sure I looked like a fool.
"Really?"
Mikey kissed his teeth, "Hell yeah! I'm in the thursday and tuesday classes, you wanna study together?"
"In class or like out?" I clarified and he shrugged as if he meant both. "Sure, yeah-no that sounds.. okay. I'm in his Thursday class too." I was gonna say good, but I didn't wanna seem desperate for friends. Even though I literally was.
"What are you taking the class for?" Mikey pressed on, his eyes hard on mine like he was really listening.
"I wanna go into the art industry, I guess." My one shoulder raised.
"You guess?" Mikey gaped at me with a grin, little lines appearing on the sides of his mouth that made his apple cheeks get plump. He had a cute smile and laugh, I couldn't lie.
"I don't guess, I-know?" I muttered, shrugging a little.
I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life if I was honest. I only really picked Art because of my mother. It was either that, or law school, and me in a courtroom?
I'd lose every case. I couldn't argue without crying.
Mikey only laughed more, flipping his hair with a whip of his head, "You're cute. Art is dope, I get it."
"Cute?" I nearly got whiplash from how hard I cocked my head back, "Um..."
How do you even respond when a guy says that to you?
"What? Never heard that before? C'mon, you're cute as fuck. I know what I said." He winked, nudging my shoulder a little with his own and my body nearly broke out in chills from the reverberations of his hum, "You're cool too, I can just tell. We're gonna be great friends."
"Oh. Well... thank you." I fought back a smile and in order not to show my crooked teeth and turned my head the other way, towards the window. I felt like a dang kid, cheesing out the window. I couldn't help but be happy about it, it was a nice thing to say.
I'd never been called that by someone else other than my parents before.
It was loud the rest of the five minutes in the car, Nirvana was driving fast and didn't seem to care that he was jolting us every which way. Kind of reckless if you asked me, but honestly really typical. Men as a whole all seemed to drive relatively fast.
We stopped though, after about three minutes at some building that I didn't recognize and Mikey scooted away from me, "We're only at the bank, don't look so scared. We just' gotta get some cash for somethin', we'll be rigghhhhtt back. H'll be with you."
Oh no.
Mikey and Niko jumped out of the car, leaving me alone with Nirvana before I could protest and despite the music being so loud, the silence inside of the car was louder.
It was awkward.
Part of me wanted to try and make polite conversation to be kind, but I figured it was best not to say anything at all.
So, I just sat and picked at my clear nail polish while I waited.
It sucked that I still wasn't allowed to even wear basic colors like white or black.
Clear nail polish only; such a stupid rule.
Soon enough I found out, I wasn't the only one who thought my nail polish was stupid though because to my surprise the music turned down very suddenly. And when I looked up, I connected hard eye contact with nirvana though the rear view mirror. His eyes were a menacing forest green, striking to give me a terrifying glare, "If you get nail polish on my fucking' seats, Cherry, I can assure you, you'll be walking the rest of the way."
The aggression in his voice made me stop immediately, "O-oh my, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about that-"
"Stop talking. Don't apologize, just stop doing it. Got it?"
Okay-buttface. Geez.
Drowning me out with the music once again, he annoyedly sighed like he was frustrated with me already.
What was it with people and getting mad at me for doing nothing?
Mikey said he was cranky, so I moved on from thinking about it, but I'd said nothing to him, done nothing to him. I didn't know what his problem was.
Whatever.
I ignored him and tuned into the loud rock music when it kicked in through the bass speakers: Alice in Chains, Man In The Box.
Alice in chains was one of the bands I discovered in middle school after perusing through YouTube. I only clicked on it because it had my name in it but, it became one of my favorite bands for that reasons, and I loved, loved, loved, their songs.
"I'm the man in the box, buried in my s*it. Won't you come and save me? Save me." I sang along so quietly to myself that I was sure only I could hear it, but apparently, I wasn't the only one.
"Are you singing?" The music cut off fast, and I whipped my head up from my hands to see him looking at me.
"Um, y-ye-"
"What I thought." His voice tensely cut me off, "If I wanted to go hear the church choir, Mary, I would go to bloody church. It's nails on a fucking chalkboard. Keep your mouth shut." How he was so calm yet so angry, I didn't understand.
"Sorry." I felt apologetic, "I didn't think you could hear me..." I murmured.
"Hm. I'm sure." He replied as if he didn't believe it, looked away from me and cranked the music back up, all in one single breath.
My own slight anger and annoyance in any other situation, would've reared its ugly head but the one thing I'd always noticed about rude people was their tendency to use the same insults.
Whether it was over and over again from' one person, or just seeing me randomly, and multiple people happening to point out the same thing.
And because of that, it wasn't the first time I'd been called 'Mary', or 'Virgin Mary' so I wasn't all that bothered by it.
Lame. Boring. Boo. Two thumbs down. Come up with something better.
I wasn't gonna say that out loud but I was sure he could, he was a jerk all around it seemed.
A hot, weird, oddly twitchy jerk, but still.
Really though, he was twitchy. Not-drug twitchy. But fidgety. And the more I watched his mannerisms, the more I saw it.
There was just a slight section of visibility between his seat and I could see him making almost... drumming motions with his hands. His fingers balled up as if he were holding drumsticks and gently tapping along to every single beat.
Not a single speck of emotion was on his face, but there he was, tappin' away.
I knew though, that if I got caught staring again, he might just drag me out of the car and run me over, so I looked away.
The song neared its' end, and I nodded my head as the guitar solo came on, loud and thick sounding. It practically raised goosebumps on my skin. It was so dang good, it made me so happy to hear it every single time, and I often danced along to the sound part in my room.
It was almost like this rush of adrenaline to hear the song play, it was huge boost of endorphins and I didn't care who was in the car, I wanted to enjoy it.
And I did, but so did Nirvana.
Our heads moved in sync for just a split second, and when I looked in the rear view mirror, he was playing a slight smirk on his face, his nose scrunched and wrinkled up a bit as he enjoyed it.
It did that to you, it made you make that face, that face where it sounds so good it's almost unbelievable, where it almost hurts to listen to because it's that good.
It was more than adorable to see him making that face and I swear I could see the slightest dimples indented in his cheeks.
He must have felt my eyes on him though, because he stopped smirking and flicked his eyes to the rear view mirror, staring at me coldly, again.
Oh my god. Can I stop staring?! Idiot, idiot, idiot. Please don't get mad, please don't get mad-
"Is there a problem?"
"I'm so, so, so sorry. It's a bad habit." I apologized right away, wincing to myself as I shook my head, "You're just-pretty!" I blurted out something random, out of fear. "Er... I mean, you have nice... cheeks?"
EW.
Give me a cliff, and throw me off.
"So, not only are you staring at me like a freak, but you're checking out my ass now too?-"
"No, no, no! Your face! You have a nice face." I cringed and sunk down into the seat just a little, "I'm sorry, I'll just stop talking, and I'll stop looking at you, I swear."
"Yeah, I'd advise that." He scoffed.
"Or else what?" I was so taken aback, I didn't even mean to say it out loud.
"Excuse me?"
"...Nothing..." I got flustered.
"That's what I thought." Nirvana snapped, honking the horn for Niko and Mikey to hurry up inside of the bank.
Not feeling satisfied in that response, I spoke again, "I'm sorry, did I do something wrong? Am I annoying you in some way I'm not aware of because you really seem to hate me for no reason."
He kept his mouth shut that time. But it wasn't like I'd get an answer anyway, because Niko and Mikey came running back from the bank.
"Whew! Told you we'd be quick!" Mikey yelled as he got back in. "Let's go!"
Nirvana quickly started up the car and pulled out of the lot with ease.
And the rest of the car ride was uncomfortably bumpy and awkward. It was only about three more minutes to get to the school with how fast we were driving, so we managed a quick trip too.
Every head in the college parking lot turned when he skidded around the corner, nearly knocking me into Mikey before he pulled up to the sidewalk in front of the school and stopped like nothing happened.
I was surprised we made it.
Nirvana turned down the music, "Out."
"Don't get your panties in a twist, grumpy pants. We're goin'. Come on, Cherry." Mikey opened his door and I decided to follow him out that way, scooting across the seat. He took my hand and helped me out before I reached back inside to grab my backpack.
It didn't feel right not using my manners, so without thinking as I stood on the sidewalk, I blurted out a soft, "Thank you for the ride." To Nirvana.
"Well, aren't you sweet?" The cigarette between his lips, he plucked from his mouth and thew straight down onto my converse.
Well, I'm trying to be.
"Try to find your own way home without getting killed Mike. I'll be busy the rest of the day. You and Mary, have a good day at school." He squinted condescendingly, and then turned back forward to yank the car in drive. He was happy to be leaving us.
Niko on the other hand had half of his body stuck out of the car while he waved toward us. "Have a good day at school, kids! See you tomorrow, Cherry!"
The music soon kicked back in very loudly and everyone turned their heads to watch them as they left in style.
"Well..." I took a deep breath, "He doesn't like me very much does he?"
"Um, no, afraid not. But in all fairness, Harlow doesn't really like anyone." Mikey laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets as he turned to face me, "It's almost... a rule for him to be an ass, I think."
"His name is Harlow?" I clarified and he nodded. "Huh, not the name I was expecting. But at least now I can stop calling him Nirvana in my head."
"You were calling him Nirvana? Oh, he'd fuckin' love that." Mikey rolled his eyes with a groan, "Don't ever tell him, you'll only give his narcissistic ass a boost. I'll walk you to class. Come on." He said with a smile.
"You sure? You shouldn't be late to yours." I frowned.
"Not a problem." He smiled, wrapping his arm around my shoulder unexpectedly and walking me in the entirely wrong direction.
I laughed slightly, my face red. "Um, my class is the other way..."
"Anddd around we go." Mikey turned us around in a circle with a chuckle and we started to walk in the correct direction.
"So, what do you want to do with your degree?" I asked him, craning my head a little to the side to see his face.
"I want to be able to manage our band. We've had manager after manager, but none of them ever stick because... of certain things. That thing being Harlow's monster attitude. So, I want to be our manager myself and in order to do that, I need'a learn about financial services and how to handle that type of business."
"Wait, no way." I nearly stopped walking. "You're in a band?"
Friends, and friends who are in a band? Jackpot.
Mikey was holding a stack of papers underneath the arm that wasn't wrapped around mine and he grabbed it, holding it in front of me to reveal a poster with what looked like Niko on it. It was a flyer for the party that they were talking about the other day.
I looked up from the flyer after taking one from the stack, "Bloody Valentine? That's so cool. Who's all in it?"
"Well, you'll just have to see when you come to the party this weekend." He smiled, shaking me a little bit by the shoulders.
"Mmm... maybe? But-probably not, I'm sorry-"
"What? Why the hell not?" He asked just as we approached my class.
"My parents are honestly really strict and if I wanted to come I'd have to sneak out. But, I don't really like to do that sort of thing." I stopped in front of the door to my building and he moved back in front of me.
"But, you're... an adult." I could tell he didn't understand.
"It's kind of stupid I know, but because I live under their house I have to follow their rules so..." I sighed sadly, clutching the strap of my backpack tighter, "I wish I could though, I bet it'll be wonderful."
"Wonderful. God, you're so fucking cute." Mikey snorted as if it was such a funny thing for me to say. "Okay, well then... how about I sneak you out? See, that way, it's technically not you. Your parents can't get mad then." He winked, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket.
"I dunno..." I said wearily, watching as he perched it between his thin lips.
"Think about it and in the meantime-you can give me your number." He smirked, shoving the lighter back into his pocket once it was lit and taking a step closer to me. His shadow loomed over me as the smoke wafted from his pink lips.
Of course he's gonna ask for that.
"I don't uh-" I paused to clear my throat, "I actually don't have a phone? Sorry."
I watched Mikey's face dropped from the slight smile slowly, looking disappointed. It wasn't too surprising, it sucked to not have one. It made me feel even more rejected from society and people my age range as a whole.
The funny thing was, I had a perfectly usable phone too, but I just didn't have service for it. I spent all of my hard earned chore money on just buying that thing, but turned out, I should've waited until I got a job cause without service, it was almost useless.
iPhone's were the on brand, cool thing though, and I just had to get one.
Mikey cleared his throat and just nodded, "Ah, I get it. It's not a problem. Well then... I guess I'll see ya' around, yeah?" I blinked as he seemed a bit more hostile than he was a second ago, if I wasn't wrong I'd say he looked almost heartbroken.
"Uh sure-"
He brushed passed me before I could even finish saying goodbye and I turned around to watch him walk away with confusion.
That was it?
I honestly was expecting a bit more understanding. He left so abruptly, why? He didn't wanna be friends with me because I didn't have a phone?
I didn't get it.
My shoulders shrunk as I tried to think of something else to say to make him come back, but nothing else came to mind, and the loud bell rang, signaling that I had to go to class.
So, I sighed, ridding my head of the thoughts once and for all and walked into class to start my very, very boring day.
Like clockwork. Nothing changed.
✰ Hours Later... ✰
I wished more than anything in the world that I had a freakin' car.
The freezing cold wind hit my face as I walked through my neighborhood and I fought off yelling at the sky, I was so over it. Walking home was something I'd pretty much always had to do, but it didn't make me hate it any less, especially in times like these.
It was the dead of winter.
I was already irritated because class was the most boring thing that I'd ever endured so then to have to walk home in 5° weather, was really the icing on the cake.
You could only listen to your professor talk about stocks for so long.
It didn't help that he had a laugh like goofy from the Mickey mouse Club house either. The idiot couldn't tell a joke to save his life but insisted they were so funny.
My brain was fried and my backpack was heavy, not to mention I pulled a muscle nearly tripping over some kids rolling backpack in the lecture hall.
That was what I got for staying after school with the engineering kids to get extra credit like William said.
God, it'd been a rough day to say the least.
Since it was January, it was already dark outside at a time so early as four-thirty PM and I was always paranoid about pedos and kidnappers so I was already on edge. But my arms clutched onto the books pressed to my stomach when I heard a car slowly start to creep up behind me.
I always paid attention to the pace of cars, if they got slower when they approached me or not. Just being ready to run in case.
This one was very slow, the sound of the tires creeping up behind me, making the hairs on my neck raise.
I was too scared to turn around and I felt sick very quickly.
So, I started walking a little bit faster and kept my eyes on my peripheral just in case.
But it was no use.
"Get in."
I turned my head at the sound of a familiar, raspy, british, thick, deep voice and when my eyes locked on Harlow, I froze in my steps.
Oh. It's just him. Is he offering me a ride home?
Harlow's eyes were on me calmer than the hours earlier, and his sunglasses were off this time to give me a good look at his face tattoo. It was weird seeing him put together, not avoiding my eye contact or refusing to talk to me.
I almost got distracted.
The 'addicted' tattoo on the side of his neck caught my attention mainly. It was in pretty cursive writing, seeming way too beautiful to be alongside any of the others so it owned its own place on his neck. It make him look-prettier.
I wondered why he got it though.
"Do you want a ride home or not? It's freezing'. C'mon." The eye contact didn't last long though and he looked back forward as he waited for me, his fingers wiggling in a "come here" motion while he dangled his arm out of the car window.
"Um... okay. Thanks." I muttered, walking around the front of his car.
He was super rude to me earlier, but Jack Frost was nipping at my butt, and I swore if I slipped on the ice and broke it because of him, I would be sending a lengthy worded email his way.
Plus, I was having a bad day already. Who said Harlow wasn't too? He seemed calmer, nicer. It didn't seem like a bad idea to get in and drive the rest of the way home with him.
I felt my cheeks heat from his intense stare as I hopped inside the car, but I ignored it and took off my backpack; placing it at my feet.
He drove off again.
"Thanks. Again." I muttered, relaxing a bit from the heat of his car and clasping my hands in my lap.
"So... quick question while we're here, Alice..." Harlow said casually, catching my attention, "Are you gonna quit watching me?" He turned around a corner with one hand and moved his stare toward me right after, his face calm but his stare tense.
"I'm... sorry?" I mumbled, furrowing my eyebrows.
He scoffed while his lips quirked up into the smallest of smiles but it wasn't a happy one, more of one you gave someone when you thought they were lying or fibbing about something.
It was like a 'you know what the hell I'm talking about', kind of look, "Your eyes have a tendency to roam in places they shouldn't. If you want to be friends with my little brother Mikey, then that's fine. He can make his own bad decisions. But we're not friends and we won't ever be friends so I'm curious as to why you keep watching me the way you do."
"Wait-mikey is your brother?" I asked, more than shocked and slightly distracted.
"Answer my question." Harlow replied casually but with a sense of demand.
I blinked as I was so tired it was messing with my state of mind, I needed a nap. "Wait - there was a question? I'm sorry-"
"Are you going to quit watching me, or are we going to have a fucking problem? Because I should warn you, I'm not fond of those, and I already don't care much for you."
Was that a-threat?
His head turned back towards me with a cold stare that made my stomach feel queasy.
I didn't know how he was managing to drive without looking but it was making me all sorts of uncomfortable.
"I was just curious as to what you guys like to do? I don't have many friends and you guys like the music I like to listen to... it was more of curiosity than anything. It wasn't my intention to make you upset, I'm sorry" I admitted, gulping down the nervous vomit in my throat.
It felt like if I took my eyes off of him, he might just kill me.
"Well..." He clicked his tongue as he slowed down in front of my house that I didn't know that we'd reached, and turned his head toward me while we parked, squinting with the most eerie, and sheer shuttering of fake smiles, "Curiosity killed the cat, and we wouldn't want that now would we?"
What.
"Didn't think so." I could see a sense of pride in his eyes for successfully scaring the shit out of me. "Out."
Yeah, I think I'm ready to go now.
"Okay, I-I'll go-" I grabbed my backpack quickly, my hand quite literally on the door handle, ready to snap it open. but I paused my movements when I realized...he'd said my real name a number of times throughout this car ride.
And I never once said it.
"How'd you know my name? I..." I watched with a chill as he began to shake his head before I ever even finished my sentence, "I never told you that."
A fake gasp fell from his lips, "Well, you're so smart, gold stars all around, hm?" The words were sharp on his tongue, "Do what I say. Run home. And keep that nosy, nasty face of yours... out of my business."
I can't believe I'm even about to think this, but he's an asshole.
I swallowed and turned back to the door, opening the door with a coil of emotions that left both my hands shaking, and my stomach churning with anger.
I felt the need to jab at him, so I held the door open, leaning down to glare at him with a slight scowl, "I hope you know that you're the rudest person I've ever met. I don't know how your stupid friends put up with your arrogant..."
I wanted to say ass, but the word wouldn't come out right away.
"Yeah, yeah, boohoo. Call me when you learn how to fucking curse, Alice." He leaned across the passengers seat and slammed his own door shut before pressing his foot on the gas.
"You ass! My name is Cherry!" I yelled toward his car.
I clenched my jaw and fists as he got the last laugh, sticking his middle finger out at me through the window as he drove in the opposite direction of his house.
Then soon, the music kicked on again and he faded off into the distance.
"Ugh!" I grunted through my teeth, walking back towards my house, "Mikey can make his own bad decisions. What does that even mean?!" I hissed to myself.
Why was I a bad decision? I'd talked to him one time. It didn't make sense. I'd done nothing, nothing wrong. Yet, Harlow was more than determined to make me uncomfortable, angry, and put me down all at once.
I'd like to become friends with Mikey and Niko, I'd love to change, but it was safe to say that he was right.
Harlow and I were never going to be friends.
***